Flood of requests to "regularise" apartment holiday rentals

Owners were trying to register apartment holiday rentals.

Perhaps it is the consequence of confusion over how legislation is processed in the Balearics, but it would seem that thousands of people turned up at the tourism ministry last week in an attempt to "regularise" their holiday apartments.

The cabinet approved the text of the legislation on 7 April. This approval did not make it law, though. That will only happen when parliament passes the legislation, and there could yet be amendments arising from the debates that will be had. Nevertheless, it appears that many people got hold of the wrong end of the stick, so much so that ministry officials were forced to put a notice up. This explained that the law has yet to be finally approved and that, in any event, it is currently prohibited to offer tourist rental (in an open, commercialised sense) in apartments or townhouses. The alternative view was they knew full well the legislative status and were in a rush to try and register apartments (which they cannot).

Neither the ministry's personnel nor politicians had expected the situation to arise, though it was taken as an indication of the level of interest in the issue and also of the number of people who are engaging in rentals, despite their not being regularised.

In addition to any confusion over where the legislation is in the processing procedure, the response perhaps also demonstrated a lack of understanding of the law as it is at present. Under the 2012 tourism (which itself updated 1999 legislation), it should have been clear that tourist rentals (in the commercialised sense) in apartment blocks is prohibited. Moreover, those who turned up at the ministry seemed unaware of the fact that even once the new law is passed, it will be up to the island councils and town halls to determine zones for holiday rentals of any type: the town halls will have eight months to do this.

It is anticipated that parliament will pass the legislation in the second half of June. It will then be most likely that there will be no granting of registration requests until next year.

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John Reeves / Hace 11 months

Mallorca cannot cope with more tourists as demonstrated in Port de Pollenca where a company called Logistica empty human waste down the drains in the road. This is highly toxic waste emptied from cesspools etc. I have notified the town hall, police and the press and I am ignored. This is a 3rd world country trying to behave like a civilised country but failing in a very serious manner.

Lawrie / Hace 11 months

Henrietta what a load of ballocks. One minute you say your an independent traveler and all the baloney that goes with it....the next you say "nothing worse than staying in an all-inclusive hotel...".
This implies you actually booked and stayed in one! Come on, a snob like you?

Henrietta / Hace 11 months

Air BnB is the only way I travel these days. Dislike hotels immensely. The diversity and fabulous apartments or rooms in a persons private homes are amazing. Sadly, that means I will be visiting Mallorca less. I am an independent traveller who eats out every day in the restaurants, so putting back into the economy daily. Nothing worse than staying in an All Inclusive hotel, with loads of children and a mass of adults. It is up to the owner of the property to put the rules out to the visitor and also to decide who he/she wishes to stay. You can discern a lot about a person through a booking conversation. I truly believe the hotel model is changing and many hotels in the world will change to luxury apartment rental from studios upwards etc.

Lawrie / Hace 11 months

Like you Henry I have not been to a hotel for 20 years. Before that though we always went to hotels for the sake of my children. Hotels have kids clubs and lots of other children so they could all play together. We always ate out during the day and at night as we seen this as a important part of the holiday. A happy child = a happy parent. I know younger families who go to Hotels for just the reasons I have highlighted. Not all families are poor tourists and they also need catered for.

Julian Simms / Hace 11 months

One thing that I have observed is that it´s generally men who comment about rentals. Is it because they don´t get involved in the general clearing and cleaning up, make shopping lists and cook food for the family three times a day ?.

Ron / Hace 11 months

Henry James / Hace 11 months

I have not stayed in an hotel for twenty years or so as i prefer to have a more home comforts and space and to take my meals as and when I chose,not when hotels dictate.
I believe that the dictatorship of the hotels has had it's day as many people no longer want to stay in hotels and the hoteliers know this which is why they are fighting tooth and nail to get rentals banned.
People who rent properties generally contribute more to the local economy as they use supermarkets,shops,cafes,restaurants and local services,whereas those who stay in hotels,especially all-inclusive contribute far less to the local economy.